Storm Dennis: Scotland flood alerts and travel updates

Ferry services and football games were cancelled today with harsh rain, heavy flooding and high winds across the country.

There are currently 15 flood alerts in place across Scotland as extreme weather batters the country.

An amber warning was in place for heavy rainfall and strong winds since noon today and is expected to last all day.

Flooding

A total of 15 flood alerts have been issued by Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Areas affected include Edinburgh and Lothians, Fife, the Scottish Borders, Tayside, Dundee and Angus, Aberdeen, Skye and most parts of central and west areas.

The River Nith in Dumfries is flowing at an extremely high level, with police in Whitesands warning people who have parked their vehicles next to the water to move them immediately.

An amber warning was in place for heavy rainfall and strong winds since noon today and is expected to last all day picture: supplied

The A82 through Glencoe has been affected by debris falling on to the road and Traffic Scotland have urged those passing through to be careful.

One video taken by Michael Cranston, a flood forecasting scientist, showed a "road transformed into a burn" near Tullibardine at Auchterarder, Perth and Kinross.

Another user on Twitter, @whokens, showed further flooding "on the road from the fields" in the Blackford area near the A9.

Police Scotland tweeted: "We're aware of significant flooding on the A9 between Auchterarder and Greenloaning.

"We are currently assessing the situation with partners and motorists are urged to avoid the area."

Southern parts of Scotland were under an amber warning for rain from midday to 8pm on Saturday, with a yellow wind and rain warning also in place to 9pm.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) issued flood warnings and advice for residents in the Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, South Lanarkshire and South Ayrshire.

Some residents in Abington, South Lanarkshire, had used sandbags to stop the heavy rain and flooding seeping over from the road onto the pavements.

Bridges

Several bridges across Scotland have had to close due to the extreme weather conditions.

The Skye Bridge is currently closed to high sided vehicles and the Forth Bridge is closed to double decker buses.

Works on the Erskine Bridge due to take place today have been postponed.

Trains

ScotRail has also decided to cancel trains running from certain stations due to the weather conditions.

Trains are not currently running between Perth and Inverness and ScotRail are looking into arranging bus replacement services.

Services are also disrupted between Perth and Dumbarton and Helensburgh, and Kilwinning and Largs/Ardrossan Harbour.

Network Rail tweeted that water levels had breached the safety limit at Inver on the Highland Mainline with "no option but to close the line for safety reasons until it recedes and safety checks are carried out".

Another post added: "Our engineer has advised that the line can't reopen until a full inspection has been carried out.

"This is unlikely to take place until tomorrow morning."

Flooding at Langbank also meant services between Glasgow Central, Gourock and Wemyss Bay were suspended on Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile ferry firm CalMac had to cancel all planned Sunday sailings between Fionnphort and Iona due to the warnings.

Other Sunday services between Ullapool and Stornoway, Oban and Castlebay, Mallaig to Lochboisdale and Oban to Lochboisdale were also called off in advance with more cancellations set for Monday.

Other disruptions

Two Scottish Premiership matches were called off, with Rangers v Livingston and Motherwell v St Mirren falling foul of the conditions along with Ayr United v Greenock Morton in the Championship.

However, the game in Glasgow has been rescheduled for Sunday despite warnings remaining in place.

Livingston bosses have already expressed doubts the game will beat the weather after revealing they had a call for the game to be played on Monday night rejected by the SPFL.

A multi-agency response team has been operating at the Traffic Scotland National Control Centre in South Queensferry to monitor conditions.

Transport Secretary Michael Matheson previously said: "The Met Office is expecting Storm Dennis to bring another period of adverse weather this weekend, with heavy rain and strong winds forecast for much of Saturday and Sunday, and into Monday morning.

"The conditions will bring potential for disruption on the trunk road network, as well as other modes of transport, so it's important people plan their journeys before they set off.

"Motorists should make sure their routes are available, follow the travel advice from Police Scotland and drive to the conditions."

Elsewhere, a deployment of 75 soldiers from the 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, was supporting the Environment Agency's efforts in Calderdale, West Yorkshire.

For a second weekend in a row, the area was expecting floods with the soldiers helping to prepare defences and assist with warning residents or potential rescues if necessary.

Warnings

A yellow wind warning is in place for all of Scotland from 10am on Sunday until 12pm on Monday, with gusts of up to 70mph expected at times.

However according to the BBC, a gust of 77mph was recorded in South Uist, in the Outer Hebrides, on Saturday morning.

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